Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! (明けましておめでとうございます！) is the third short in the Otaka Mega Man Shorts series. It was released on YouTube and NicoNico Douga on December 4th, 2014. Plot Yuuta Kobayashi and his sister Akane turn on their NES and call for Mega Man. Mega Man jumps out of the TV with Roll in tow. The kids are excited to see Mega Man, who asks what they're doing. Yuuta explains that it's New Years Eve and they were going to go downstairs and commemorate, and that they wanted to bring Mega Man along so he could see what it's like. Then Yuuta tells Mega Man that a New Years show is going on in Tokyo, but his family's tight schedule gives trouble to go. The kids try to decide if they will go to the show, at which point their parents walk in and announce that they can go. Mega Man, Roll, and the kids cheer. We cut to Yuuta and Akane riding in the car with Mega Man and Roll. Akane expresses her excitement for the show, while Roll makes a fuss about the bumpy ride. Soon enough, they pull up at a theater in Tokyo City. The children get out of the car with their parents, and Mega and Roll follow. The kids take their seats and wait for the show to start, and soon the show begins. People play taiko drums and kotos, backed by dancers. Mega Man asks what this show is about, to which Akane responds that it's celebrating the old year and anticipating the new one. The show's audience is encouraged to get up and dance, and the kids dance along. After a while, the show is over, and the Kobayashi family plus Mega and Roll drive home. Back in the house, Yuuta and Akane explain to Mega Man and Roll that the New Year is important to the Japanese and allow them to participate in the commemoration. Akane motions for Mega and Roll to come into the kitchen. She shows them how to make a mochi, her patting the rice ball with water and Yuuta hitting it with a mallet. Mega and Roll soon try to make their own, with varying successes. Then we see the kids eating their mochi with their parents. Next, the children play games. Yuuta gets out a karuta deck and teaches Mega Man and Roll how to play. Yuuta and Akane are amazed at how fast Mega Man can grab the cards that are called. Among other games, Mega and Roll are shown playing fukuwarai, where Roll is blindfolded and tries to put together a paper face. Akane suggests they write poetry, and she, Yuuta, Mega Man, and Roll write a renga poem together. Along the way, Mega learns how to properly write a haiku. Mega Man, Roll, and the children write a postcard, and Yuuta shows it to his mom. Ms. Kobayashi reminds her kids that the Kohaku Uta Gassen is coming on soon, and Yuuta tells Mega and Roll that they're going to watch the celebrations on TV. As Kohaku Uta Gassen comes on, Mr. Kobayashi passes out kurikinton for the kids, Mega Man, and Roll to eat. Yuuta says that his family always roots for the white team, while Roll roots for the red one because she's wearing a red dress. Pointing out Akane's red kimono, Roll tells her she should be supporting the red team too. Nevertheless, the white team wins, and the family sings "Hotaru no Hikari", before eating their toshikoshi-soba. At around midnight, the children invite Mega Man and Roll to a temple. They say the people will ring a bell 108 times to celebrate the new year. Mega and Roll are confused by this idea at first, but they accept and watch the bell-ringing. Remembering a tradition, Yuuta and Akane take Mega and Roll to a nearby beach and watch the sun rise. They arrive home again, and the kids eat osechi, sharing some ozoni with Mega Man, who tries to eat it. After the meal, they start the New Years greetings, and Mr. and Ms. Kobayashi give Yuuta and Akane otoshidama. Suddenly, the door gets knocked, and Yuuta opens it. Otaka is standing there, saying she visited because she heard it was the New Year. She bids Mega Man a happy new year before taking her leave. After all the fun, it's time for Mega Man and Roll to leave, as Yuuta and Akane put Mega Man and Roll back in the game world. The short ends with Yuuta and Akane eating nanakusa-gayu six days later, with Mega and Roll winking to the camera. Songs *"Shin'nen Gasso", an instrumental that plays during the show the Kobayashis watch. *"Ringin' in the New Year", sung by Yuuta, Akane, Mega Man, and Roll as they play various games. *"Hotaru no Hikari", sung by Yuuta, Akane, and their parents at the end of Kohaku Uta Gassen. Trivia *This short is largely based on the beginning of the second episode of the Mega Man: Upon a Star OVA, "Wishing Upon a Star". *This is the first appearance of Yuuta and Akane Kobayashi. *How can Otaka visit the Kobayashi house if she's supposed to be in Monsteropolis (which would be the game world)? Mega Man and Roll are technically from the real world in these shorts, too. *It seems that Yuuta and Akane have learned to turn off the NES when getting Mega Man into the real world. *Danielle Pluzsik (the creator of the Otaka Mega Man Shorts) has mentioned that her school's Japan club advisor gave her praise on this short, as well as the other Yuuta and Akane shorts. *Yuuta here is not voiced by Brandon O'Bray or Sean Amsing, however Kelly Sheridan returned to voice Akane. *The poster in the Kobayashi kids' room reads "それはあなたの頭の中ですべてをです", which means "it's all in your head". Danielle Pluzsik confirmed that it is a reference to vaporwave artist Macintosh Plus. Category:Otaka Mega Man Shorts